Measuring the
Effect of Pollution With Palm PrintsAsymmetrical
Dermatoglyphics and the Environment

by Mark Hopkins

She's a scientist-a geneticist-concerned
about the harmful effects the environment is having on human
genes; and she's found a gentle, effective way to work with infants,
the physically and mentally handicapped, the elderly, and the
schizophrenic while doing it. When she gathers data, it's so
simple, it almost looks like play as she gently presses each
palm-both right and left-which has been sponged with black ink,
against a piece of paper. Voila! Two palm prints! And that's
it, except for a little washing up to do.

Science has known for quite some time that pollution damages
genes which, in turn, brings disease and death to mankind and
other biological life. But how can they determine whether genes
have been damaged if they don't want to wait around for genetic
diseases, spontaneous abortions, and congenital malformations
to appear?

Cheap, Simple and Effective

Ulduz Hashimova at Azerbaijan
Academy of Science has found a way-she's reading palms. Mind
you, she's not a psychic. The methodology apart from being astonishingly
simple, has a quantitative basis, is easily replicated and, very
importantly, is very cheap. The only equipment necessary for
both testing and analysis is black ink, sponge, paper, pencil,
ruler and compass. A calculator would help ease mathematical
calculations.

Typically, geneticist researchers take blood samples. But Hashimova's
sampling requires no hypodermic needles in an age when everyone
is fearful of AIDS, nor the accompanying paraphernalia of test
tubes, refrigeration and chemical reagents. It's a methodology
that every Research Institute strapped for financial resources
could wish for, especially at a time when developing countries
like Azerbaijan are experiencing economic crisis and most scientists
are forced to take second jobs just to survive. Such research
like Hashimova's enables science to move on despite economic
restraints that slam most doors shut.

Gene Mutation Shows
in Palms

Hashimova's study is designed
to determine genetic damage based on what is called "fluctuating
asymmetry" which is the notion that genes in their optimal
state are nearly symmetrical and, conversely, asymmetry will
be illustrated in various bilateral parts of humans such as eyes,
teeth, hands, etc. when genes have been damaged.

She built her work on experiments carried out by colleagues,
Urkhan Alekberov, A.O. Mammadova and R.R. Hajiyev showing the
effects of genotoxic agents upon the genetic system of plants
as revealed in the simultaneous increase in the level of mutations
and in fluctuating asymmetry.

The analysis includes identifying the five swirl points on both
the right and left palm prints which are found at the base of
each finger (point of tri-radius) and then measuring the angle
of the tri-radius and the distance in millimeters between tri-radius
and the four remaining points. Calculations are made for each
hand and then the differences are found-that's the asymmetry-no
two prints are ever identical.

The use of dermatoglyphics is not new. It started with Harold
Cummin's work, Fingerprints, Palms and Soles: An Introduction
to Dermatoglyphics originally published in 1893 (Revised in 1961).
Hashimova has been working on the problem and gathering prints
for the past eight to nine years.

What her research demonstrates for the first time is the negative
effects of the environmental pollution on the genes as illustrated
in dermatoglyphics. As genes are the base for all living structures
and functions, negative effects will harm the hereditary, oncological
and metabolic systems but, bottom line, it is genetic damage
that triggers all of these types of diseases.

Centenarians: Almost
Symmetrical Palms

As a baseline for her studies,
Hashimova first studied people of longevity (90 years or older)
from a Talysh village close to the Iranian border. There she
found the palm prints "very, very symmetrical."
Then she printed children in cotton producing regions in central
Azerbaijan who had been exposed to high levels of pesticides.
Asymmetry was quite evident. Schizophrenics and diabetics were
studied, too, with the same result.

But the most dramatic cases of asymmetry were found in children
who lived in Sumgayit, Azerbaijan's highly toxic petro-chemical
manufacturing city. There she printed malformed babies, some
with six fingers and cleft lips, and some mentally challenged
with Down's Syndrome. Sumgayit's prints showed the highest pronounced
level of asymmetry.

In man's quest to find the balance between environment, economy
and technology, it is very important to identify types of pollution
and toxins which may cause gene mutation. This is what Hashimova's
work helps to do. Then after the culprits are identified, ways
can be found either to eliminate them or, at least, to search
for ways to block and protect the genes so damage will not occur.
Hashimova's work is an important primary step.

Mark Hopkins is a staff writer. Translation assistance
was from Aliya Abassova.